Propane tank explodes inside Philadelphia food truck

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
VIDEO:Feltonville food truck explosion
Investigators have been inspecting the food truck that exploded.

PHILADELPHIA (KABC) -- A propane tank exploded inside a food truck in Philadelphia, critically injuring several people. The incident was caught on surveillance video.

Police believe the explosion on Tuesday was caused by a "significant" propane tank leak that created a vapor cloud, which was then ignited by cooking grills.

A nearby transit police officer rushed to the scene and found multiple victims lying in the street, including at least one who was on fire, police said in a statement.

Thirteen people were rushed to an area hospital, five of whom had critical injuries. According to WPVI-TV, two of the people in critical condition are the truck owner, 42-year-old Olga Galdemez, and her daughter, 17-year-old Jaylin Landaverry. Two others in critical condition are relatives of Galdemez - a 13-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman. The fifth critical victim was a 23-year-old male passerby.

Officials say the food truck was licensed to operate in the Feltonville neighborhood of north Philadelphia and was open for business at the time of the explosion.

The tank was found about 150 feet away in a residential backyard.

WPVI-TV and The Associated Press contributed to this report.